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The latest beauty trend sweeping the UK is 'tittooing' for perfect nipples.

According to an article in The Telegraph, the fashion for semi-permanent nipple tattoos is becoming increasingly popular among British women, who are paying close to £1,200 ($1800) to get their nipples darkened or reshaped. 

Nipple tattooing or "tittooing" was originally invented to make reconstructed breasts look more realistic, according to The Telegraph.  About 95 percent of women who have had mastectomies decide to go for for the minor procedure that darkens, enlarges and defines their nipples and surrounding areola.  However, the beauty industry is now making use of the procedure's aesthetic benefits by claiming that it will give women the "perfect nipples" they've always wanted.

The semi-permanent tattoos last for around 12 to 18 months and takes on average two hours to complete. Follow-up appointments are recommended to restore any color lost as the ink fades over time.  The color of the nipples is made to look natural by matching medical grade micropigments to compliment the patient's skin tone.

According to the Daily Mail, areola restoration is more painful for women who want to improve the look of their existing nipples than women who have had reconstructive surgery.  This is because the areola's skin is more sensitive than the surrounding breast tissue.

Gail Proudman, a clinician who performs the procedure more than three times a week, has seen a surge in the number of young women coming in for nipple tattoos.

"A lot of people want their nipples made darker. It's the fashion. Some people think theirs are too pink or their boyfriends want them done. I think sometime they are doing it because they are conscious of them being pale and they think it's fashionable to have dark nipples. They'll look at the magazines and page 3 and unfortunately a lot of it might be peer pressure," Proudman told The Telegraph.

"The girls get them done so they can go topless and not be embarrassed, or when they're in a changing room and getting changed. They can go on holiday in front of their partners, go for massages, spray tans and just not be conscious of their body," she added.

Danielle Price, a "tittoo" technician in the UK, told the UK newspaper that the new cosmetic trend is definitely gaining more popularity.

"A lot of people still don't know about it, but it is definitely getting more popular. I have seen a huge change in clientele. They used to be so much older and professional. Now I'm getting really young girls aged 18 to 25," she said.

"Some girls do come to me and say their boyfriends will like it more. It's a bit worrying to think they would go out and get it done just because of that, and I wouldn't do it for them until they were sure they wanted it. The younger generation are so hung up on everything being just so, it's quite sad really," Price said.